with arms wide open
by nickandcory
Summary: Rachel held a secret she wasn't ready to tell just quite yet. Her perfect relationship brought just a little too much to the table. Torn envelopes scattered all around her room sealing her fate. (Blessing in Disguise, complete rewrite) Finchel AU


**Here is a repost of my old story Blessing in Disguise. Some things may sound familiar but I'm basically re-writing the entire story. I've recieved some great advice and I'm starting with redoing this story. I wanted to write this story so bad when I wrote it and I completely rushed it. So I hope that you all enjoy this new and better version. **

**Starting with the prologue which is kind of in Finn's perspective, his take on their relationship before we get to present and in Rachel's head. **

**Huge shout out to joyofrediscoveringyou for editing and your amazing advice. You're the best!**

**Prologue: The Meeting**

**July 2007**

When his coach told the team their baseball league was going to be held on the fourth of July Finn couldn't help but to be a little disappointed. Every year him and his mother would go down to DC for fireworks. It was somewhat of a tradition, ever since his dad took his mom before he went into the army and died. It's something Finn looks forward to all year, especially since his mom saves enough money to take him to this really awesome hotel and then out to eat. Fourth of July is Finn's favorite holiday, besides Christmas of course.

So when news broke they wouldn't be going to DC, Finn almost wanted to quit the team and tell them to have fun without him. But as he's sitting in the Ohio State's Bobcats stadium with his mom decked out in red with Burt's Tire Shop written on her shirt, a new boyfriend who sponsored Finn's team. It might be a little weird to have another man in the house but Finn's kind of happy for his mom, he's noticed she smiles a lot more now but isn't home that much. So it's nice she's there, even though she's really embarrassing with the other parents with banners and cheering at unnecessary times. Especially when the game hadn't even began yet.

Being in the Bobcat stadium though really put things into perspective for Finn. Sure he may never play baseball again in life (he was more of a football fan) but being in a team with his friends, playing sports was something he could see doing. Maybe he would play football for Ohio State, his mom told he could do just about anything he pleased and his mom was usually right about everything.

"Boy take your hat off." The coach comes up to Finn snapping him out of his thoughts, the young boy scrambling to hurry and do what he's told. His middle school band comes out onto the field and honestly he's a little embarrassed that they are. Since when did they practice in the summers anyway?

Finn immediately recognizes a girl that comes out from behind the band members, stepping up to the microphone. She wears a light pink tank topped dress that has white daisy's all around the fabric and he notices a white bow tying her bangs from her face. He didn't even need to see anything else to know she was Rachel Berry, she's thirteen too. He knows that she's all into music and stuff so he's a hundred percent sure she'll be singing.

"Geez can't we just play? I don't want to sit around and wait for these dumb people to stop with their music." Noah Puckerman, Finn's best friend since practically daycare when they were three, complained holding his hat against his stomach.

"Sh…" The coach hushed them just as the band started to play.

Her voice was magical, nothing he's ever heard of before. Something about angel's singing wouldn't even begin to describe Rachel Berry's ability to entrance those who are lucky enough to hear her sing. The stadium was quiet as they all hung at every last word she sang up until Finn slammed his hands together forcefully being the first one to clap.

"Wow." His mouth gaped out as she waves the applauding crowd, skipping over to her fathers (because she has two daddies) who hug her.

"She was alright." Puck shrugs, not too interested, shoving his cap back on. "Coach I want to go in first."

Rachel didn't leave the front stands the entire time. Finn would know because he watched her like a hawk, her every move remembered and captured in his mind. His heart nearly pumping out of his chest when she even cheered his name a few times. He tried to ignore the other cheers for the rest of the boys on his team, the only thing mattering is that a girl with that much talent knew his name. When the championship is over and his team won by a single home run Finn had to calm himself especially when Rachel was handing out high fives.

"Awesome job on two home runs Finn." She smiles at him and he just nodded fiddling his the bat in hand he had yet to get rid of.

"Your voice is like really good." He stutters out scraping the wood against the dirt as some kind of distraction.

Her grin is as big as a jack-o-lantern that people carve for Halloween and it suits her really well. In fact it is probably one of the prettiest smiles he's ever seen.

"I know, but great job out there Finn. You're going to be like one day, except without all the steroid problems, I hope." Finn's pretty sure that's when he first really noticed Rachel Berry and when he knew he fell in love with her.

**xx.**

"Is it true that you and the hobbit are like in love?" Finn rolled his eyes at Quinn Fabray's comment, having known her for a few years he's come to realize that she had quite the vocabulary.

"I don't know what the means but I'm sure it's not good." Finn tries to walk away from her, grabbing a cookie from the lunch line as he waits in the brand new cafeteria on their first day of highschool. "Where are you even getting your information from anyway?"

"From a reliable source, now is it true?" Quinn looks pretty intimidating in her Cheerio uniform, apparently it's a big deal to make it on varsity while only being a freshmen. Not that Finn really cares, like at all. "So?"

Finn shrugs because yeah he loves hanging out with Rachel on weeknights and watching movies in his basement when they know his mom is at work until late. They even started making out which Finn loves too, she's like his best friend maybe even technically his girlfriend. They're in ninth grade now which both of Mr. Berry's rules clearly states they are able to officially start dating. Hanging out all the time and kissing basically means they are dating but with both of Rachel's fathers approval, they could be labeled. He really likes Rachel and he already sees her as his girlfriend.

"I like her a lot."

Quinn doesn't say anything as she narrows her eyes at him. Finn steps around her but she continues to follow him.

"You're making me really uncomfortable."

"You are only fourteen Finn! She's been going around telling practically everyone in the school that you two are in love!"

"Has not." Puckerman comes up behind Quinn startling her. Finn believes his best friend over any girl, especially if the girl is Quinn Fabray. "If anything I heard you're the one in love."

"Shut it." She stomps her foot and shoving through both the boys before storming out of line and out into the cafeteria to sit with her Cheerios.

"What was that about?" Finn is sort of clueless when it comes to chick stuff like that. Rachel's dramatic but at least she knew how to speak words and tell everyone how she felt.

Puck snatches a few fries from the plates already made up before waving it all off.

"Quinn heard that you and Rachel were still together after the summer."

"Yeah, so what?"

"Quinn has a crush on you dude!" Puck slaps his shoulder as if knocking some sense into him. "But don't worry once I'm finished with her, you won't have to worry about Quinn coming after you anymore. I'll get her in the sack and she'll never remember who her silly crush ever was."

"Well good luck with that." Finn pays for his meal and finds a seat with some of his old baseball team members who are talking about signing up for football, something he wouldn't mind doing at all.

Though it bothers Finn the rest of the day because he really likes what him and Rachel are doing and really wishes that they were exclusive. Ever since having classes together their eighth grade year after the summer they spoke to each other, they'd been inseparable. Two teachers assigning them to be partners was the greatest thing in Finn's eyes. Their eighth grade science fair project won first place and Finn won Rachel's heart when he kissed her during their observations. He doesn't know if it were the way she had been concentrating on the data that had made her so cute or the way she was so comfortable around him.

Either way it had happened and Rachel liked it enough that she let Finn do it again and again. That's how Finn knows they are old enough to handle a relationship. They're in high school now, they should be able to hold hands in the hallways and he wants to do that.

So when he sees her reading over her schedule down the hallway Finn straps his backpack over his shoulder and makes his way to her. He freezes up a little but when he gets to her he snaps right back into play grabbing her hand with his own.

She looks up confused until Rachel realizes whose hand it is, squeezing it tightly. Leaning into his side a little Rachel looks up at him as if he's hung the stars. He feels so special, needed when she looks at him like that. Never has anyone besides him mom ever made him feel important like Rachel does.

"Hi, how have your classes been so far?"

That was it, nothing else needed to be said. For once Rachel was loud and clear that she was comfortable with being his girl.

"Good." He smiles tugging on her arm a little as they begin walking together, peeking over her shoulder to see where her next class is. "Looks like we have biology together."

"Of course we do." She laughs resting her head on his arm as they walk. Rachel was a perfect human being and he thanks his lucky stars that they brought this one to him.

He would hang the moon, all Rachel needed to do was say the words and it would be hers.

**xxx.**

Finn knows he'll do just about anything for Rachel when they're sixteen. In fact, Finn's more than positive that he's going to want to be the best man for this girl for the rest of his life. He's not saying that either just because she's curled up under him completely naked.

His hands running through her soft hair as she's asleep, honestly he's so in love with girl that it makes his heart leap from his chest just thinking of her. He's been in love with this girl from the beginning, he knows it.

Without being with her Finn knows his day will get better when she comes around. Hell sometimes just texting her makes his day a little brighter. He would do anything for Rachel and would stop at nothing to please her.

"Stop staring." A grin is on her face, eyes still shut .

"Can't… too beautiful." If her eyes weren't shut he knew he'd get an eye roll. She groans instead, turning her head so she'd rest her chin on his chest looking up at him with those eyes he can't say no to.

"I can't believe I fell asleep and you didn't." Finn shrugs and Rachel lays her head flat down still looking up at him, her hands rubbing his sides. "You sure do know how to make a girl feel special."

"I'm sorry if it hurt." Finn runs his fingers up and down her back under the blankets, her turn to shrug.

"Honestly it wasn't as bad as everyone says it was going to be." She admits with a little blush hidden under her cheeks. Finn's eyebrows soar just imagining Rachel asking around their groups of friends for sex advice. "Don't worry I'm well prepared for any sex jokes Noah has coming our way, I've already thought it through. Quinn was very helpful and as was Santana, though her advice wasn't exactly what I was looking for."

Since Puck's somewhat really awkward promise that he held, Quinn had in fact gotten over her silly crush and moved onto his best friend. The both of them have had their own troubles and problems that made things a little easier for Finn and Rachel. Quinn and Puck were more so sex buddies then each other's best friend. Though without Quinn's constant shutdowns, Rachel was able to find a friend in Quinn leading her to find more friends within the clique. It was nice for Finn not having to defend his relationship with Rachel all the time, and he knew Rachel seemed a lot happier too.

"I was thinking." She smiled even brighter "Tonight we should bake your mom, Burt and Kurt some dinner. Show them a little appreciation for all their hard work with your stepdad's new shop opening."

"Do you have any clue on how much I love you?" Finn whispers pulling her up his body to be closer to her face.

"I'm guessing the same as how much I love you?" Her eyes sparkle with amusement and pulls away from him causing him to groan in annoyance. "Come on Finn your parents are going to be home any minute anyway. I'm sure they've had an eventful day advertising and such, so let's go make them a celebratory dinner."

"What about us?" Finn smirks coming up behind his girlfriend, sliding his arms around her middle as she ties the back of her dress. "Do we get our own celebratory dessert?"

"Hmmm.." She giggles leaning into his embrace. "I can see that in our foreseeable future."

"Very." Finn kisses up her neck after each word. "Very, very, very soon."

"No more of this business, right now we need to get our gears working and go see what we have to work with in the fridge."

Almost running out of the room before he was able to chase after her and pull her in, which was definitely an option at the moment. Hearing her giggle from his room all the way down the stairs wasn't even an option for the future. A life without Rachel Berry would be like a day without food and he loves food.  
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